Metal car-roof.



.A'. c. MURPHY. METAL CAR ROOF. Arrpl'c'mvlon r'lLEo ocT. s. 1915.

Patented July-18; 1916.

lA. C. MURPHY.

METAL CAR H OOF. APPLICATIUN FILED or. 6. 1 915.

'eaves to the .roof substructure, and adjacentV ALBERT c. MURPHY, or new YORK, n. Y., AssIGNon rro r. n. MURPHY coMrANY, oF

rAnNAssUs, PENNSYLVANIA, a CORPORATION or :PENNSYLVANIA METAL CAR-ROOF.

Specicat'ion of Letters Patent.

ratented July 1s, 191e.

Application mea october e, 1915. 4serial ira-54,301.

l yNew'York and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Metal Car-Roofs, of which the vfollowing', is a specification.

This invention relates -to flexible metal roofs for freight cars wherein the metal roof sheets are arranged crosswise on top of the car and are loosely secured at the ridge and roof sheets are connected by non-rigid standing seams or joints.'

The objects ofthe invention are-to prevent wearing through or tearing of the roof sheets in service, to protect the sheets where the wear and tear is greatest, to do away with holes through the roof sheets for the securing means, and to provide for the con- -venient removal and replacement of worn' and damaged roof sheets; and to maintain the join\ts between the roof sheets 'tight under serviceconditions.

vThe invention consists in the combination. of a roof section comprising either one ortwo roof sheets, which section extends from eaves to eavesland' is arranged 'astride thef ridge at 4its middlel where it is provided with a centralA boss, vided with a mating boss at its middle adapted to coperate with the boss inthe roof section to retain the roof section in placeand 'to permit of sufiicient movement of the roof sheets toprevent their becoming torn or cracked'in service.

. Further objects of the invention appear in connection with the following description of the car roof constructions shown 1n the accompanying drawings; and what the invention consists in is more particularly defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings, wfherein the same refer'- ence characters designate the same or similar parts inthe several views, Figure 1V isa plan view of a portion of a car roof embodying the invention, the running. boards' and seam covers being partly broken away 'to show the roof sheets; Fig. v2 is a cross-section of the same at the eaves, on the line 2--2 inl Fig. 1, drawn to a larger scale; Fig. 3

i.; a cross-section on the line 3-3' in Fig. l, e

drawn' to the same scale as Fig. 2.

'-53 Figs. 4 and 5 are enlarged cross-sections o. Metalle,

with a ridge seam cover proof the ridge construction, on'the lines 4-4 land 5-5 v1n Fig. 1, respectively ;V Figs. 6 and 7 are cross-sectional viewssimilar to- Figs '.4 and 5,`showing a modified form' ofthe w'ood or metal.V .The roofsheets 14 are ar'- ranged side by .side in parallel rows on opposite sides of the ridge, and are spaced apart sufciently to permitwoodenbattens 15 to be laid between the roof sheets'of each row. The ends of the roof sheets on opposite sides of the ridge are'arranged in alineme'nt crosswise ofthe car, and the battens on each side of the car are in-alinement and meet* at the ridge.

The side edges of each roof sheet are provlded with upstandingflanges 16 with inturned extremities V17 which slope down toward the bodyV portion of the sheet. The sidelianges of adjacent roof sheets are covered by. side seam coversl 18 which are supported Von the battens 15. These side' seam covers have sidewalls 19 which are turned. in at their bottoms, and the indzurnedy edges 20 of which are hooked under the eX- tremities '17 ofthe side lianges of adjacent roof sheets, as shown in Fig. 3; This construction provides a loosef but watertight connection or joint between'the sides of adjacent roof sheets. The 4invention is not restricted to this side seam construction, and any suiiiciently flexible seam 'or joint for connecting the roof sheets along their sides may be used.-

vThe eaves ends of the roof sheets are turned under, forming hooksv or rebends 21 on theiraunder sides which are hooked into the folded-over inner edges 22 of flashing strips 23, as shown in Fig. 2. The iashing 'strips are nailed or otherwise secured along the eaves of the car' betweenthe battens.

`Angle-shaped eaves clips 24 are secured .to

the side of the'car below the ends of the roof sheets, with their *topl legs projecting inwardly over the eaves ends. of the. roof sheets 14 and side seam covers 18 to hold them' down. 'The eaves clips are detachably .secured to the fascia board 25 by bolts, andv may be quickly removed and replaced when desired. They rest loosely upon the roof sheets Without clamping them, so the roof sheets are free to move both lengthwise and I eaves ends of the roof sheets may be used.

Atthe ridge, the roof sheets are secured by ridge seam covers 26, which are arranged over the'sheets longitudinally of' the car, the

ends of the ridge covers terminating close to the side flanges of the roof sheets. -These ridge covers are inverted channel shape, with vertical side Walls 27 and wide dat tops. The lower edges of the side walls 27 have outturned flanges 28, which sti'en the side walls and aid in stiii'eningthe ridge covers against both vertical vand sidewise bending.,

The ridge ends of the side seam covers 18 and the ,ends of the ridge seam covers 26 are secured in position by square corner caps 30, the side Walls 31 of which are recessed to fit over the seam covers. These corner caps 4 are bolted to the ridge pole by bolts 32 which also secure the running board saddles 33 in position. The running4 boards 34 may be secured to the saddles in any suitable manner. The running board saddles rest on the side seam covers 18 and battens 15, and hence the Weight of the running board saddles and running boards is not carried on the roof sheets, which are freely movable under the side and ridge seam covers within the limits of the side walls thereof.

In the form of construction shown in Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, the roof sheets 14 extend from eaves to ridge, and have upstanding ridge flanges 35 near their ridge ends. The upper extremities of the flanges 35 are bent outward, forming horizontal raised margins 36 which overlap across the ridge. At the middle point of each marginal portion 36 is an upstanding pivot boss 37, the bosses .on overlapping sheets fitting into'each other. The middle points of the top walls vof the ridge covers 26 are provided with upstanding pivot bosses 29 which receive the ridge flanges of the underlying oppositely disposed roof sheets and thereby form a plv-- otal support or fulcrum in which the roof sheet bosses may turn.

The ridge flanges 35 of the roof sheets are slanted or inclined inwardly and upwardly .from the ridge ends of the body portions of the respective roof sheets. The side walls 2T of the ridge vseam covers 26 are spaced from the flanges 35, and have straight outturned flanges 28 adapted to rest upon the roof sheets near the flanges 35 to form a watertight joint with the roof sheets while permitting 'them to move around the pivot bosses to accommodate themselves to the distortions of the substructure in service. rlhe slant or inclination of the flanges 3'5'forms spaces between them and the seam covers which catch water flowing under the edges 28 and prevent itfrom creeping over the flanges 35' and into the car.

In the modified form of the invention .shown in Figs. '6 and 7, the top face of the ridge pole 38 is convex, and the ridge ends of the roof boards 39 are let into grooves along the top edges ofthe ridge pole' in order to avoid a sharp ridge corner. The roof sheets 40- extend from eaves to eaves, and the middle or ridge portion of each of the roof sheets is slightly convex, the middle points of the curved middle portions being bossed upto formpivot bearings 41 midway between the battens.

The curved4 ridge portions of the roof sheets are covered by ridge seam coversv 42 which are likewise curved to conform to the curved ridge of the roof sheets, and which rest on the roof sheets. Midway of their length the ridge seam covers 42 are provided with upwardly projecting bosses 43 conforming to the bosses 41 of the roof sheets. Thetwo ends of each ridge seam cover stop short of the inturned extremities 17 of the anges 16 of the underlying roof sheets, Vand are secured in longitudinal alinement by the inverted channel shape ridge caps 44, and thereby the roof sheets'are retained in position on the roof substructure against slidcombination with metal roof sheets laid 01rsaid substructure crosswise of the car, metal ridge covers resting on said roof sheets in longitudinal alinement with the center line of said car and secured at their ends to said substructure, said ridge covers having pivot bosses'at their middles land said roof sheets having pivot bosses registering with the pivot bosses of said ridge covers, and means for loosely securing the eaves ends of said roof sheets, whereby said roof sheets are retained on said substructure.

2. .A car having ak roof substructure in combination with metal roof sheets laid on said substructure crosswise of the car, metal ridge covers resting on said roof sheets in longitudinal alinement with the center line of said car, ridge caps loverlying the ends of said ridge covers and secured to said substructure by means passing between the roof sheets, said ridge cabs retaining said ridge covers in central alinement, said ridge covers having pivot bossesfat their middles and saidroof sheets having pivot bosses registeringv with the pivot-bosses of said ridge covers, and means for loosely securing the eaves ends of said roof sheets, whereby said roof sheets are retained on said substructure.- l v 3. Al car roof comprising roof sheetshav-` ing upstanding anges at their ridge ends provided' with horizontal-extensions adapted to lap over the ridge, pivot bosses at the middle points of said extensions, the bosses of overlapping roof sheets registering with each other, `ridge seam covers s'traddling.

the overlapping' extensions of the ridge flanges of oppositely arranged roof sheets,

said seam covershaving pivot bosses fitting tliepivotjbosses of said roof sheets, and means for retaining said ridge covers in central alinenienton the car.

4. A car roof comprising spaced roof sheets having outwardly flanged lip-standing ridge ends, pivots formedv atv the middle points'of` said ends, ridge sea-m covers straddling the ridge flanges of oppositely ar.- ranged roof sheets, said seam covers having pivot bearings formedat their middle points registering -With lthe pivots of said ridge flanges, and' means for retaining said ridge covers in central alinement on the car.

covers on the car, said ridge covers having out-turned flanges along the bases of their side walls which bear upon the roof sheets.

6. A car roof ycomprising loosely connected roof sheets having outwardly. projecting flanges alongtlie tops of 11p-standing flanges along their ridge ends, ridge seaml covers of inverted channel-shape covering said flanges,

the side lWalls of said ridge seam covers being spaced from said flanges, and the top s I walls thereof having pivotal connection'to said outwardly projecting flanges at their middle points. Y

7. A. flexible carroof comprising a series of pairsof'oppositely. disposed roof sheets extending from eaves to ridge and loosely connected along their side margins, the ridge ends of said roof sheetsbeing'raised and bent.. outwardly and provided with pivots at their middle points, the middle points of the roof sheets of' each pair being locatedin juxtaposition, ridge seam covers overlthe ridge seam covers having socket .portions midway of their length ivhich are adapted to receive said pivots and to bear upon said ridge ends of said pairs of roof sheets, said roof sheets near their pivot points', whereby said roof sheets can swing about their ridge ends, .and means' for securing the ends of the ridge seam covers.

8. A ridge capl for a car roof, said ridge cap having an up-standing boss at its middle adapted tocoperate Witha similar boss on a roof sheet.

9. A ridge cap fora car roof, said ridge cap having a `flat top and side Walls provided with flanges forstiffening it against vertical and sideivisevbending, said flat top having a circular boss at its middle adapted to cooperate with a` similar boss on a roof sheet.

Signedfat -New York, N. Y., this 29th day of September, 1915.4

ALBERT C. MURPHY. 

